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Fairy Garden Renovations

Are you familiar with the old adage, “one thing leads to another?” The classic children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie uses this concept with great humour.

The book is known for its playful, circular pattern. A boy gives a cookie to a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk. He then requests a straw (to drink the milk), a mirror (to avoid a milk mustache), nail scissors (to trim his hair), and a broom (to sweep up). Next he wants to take a nap, to have a story read to him, to draw a picture, and to hang the drawing on the refrigerator. Looking at the refrigerator makes him thirsty, so the mouse asks for a glass of milk. The circle is complete when he wants a cookie to go with it. – Wikipedia

So, if you give a friend a craft store gift card (thank you Stephanie), she’s going to want to use it. When she goes to the crafting store, she’ll discover cute little stencils. She buys those stencils along with a few acrylic paints.

Martha Stewart Craft stencils

Since the garden nursery is *right next door* to the crafting store, she’ll pop in for a look. While there she’ll find the perfect, over-sized plant trays and the wheels begin to turn. Fairy garden renovations, here I come!

Large plant trays

She’ll rush home with the loot, but days will pass before she has time to play. She moves the project from the garage workbench to the kitchen counter, thinking she’s more likely to work on it there. She’s right! Racing the clock, she stencils one of the trays before heading off for another appointment. Family memories say lovely things, spurring her on.

Stenciled plant trays

The stenciled trays must wait to dry. Once dry, they need a sealer. Once sealed, they need some soil. Mother’s Day rolls around and she wants nothing more than an afternoon renovating the garden.

Fairy Garden on Deck

Two planter trays are the perfect size and shape for my garden bench.

Patio Fairy Garden

The perfect spot for the newly renovated fairy house.

Newly renovated fairy house flying the rainbow flag

Fairies can cozy up in a Magnolia petal hammock.

Magnolia petal hammock

A log bridge connects the house and the garden.

Log bridge to the reading garden

My son painted the ceramic plate, the focal point of the reading garden. The chair, lantern and glazing ball are gifts from Alyster the Gnome.

Reading Garden

There are already signs of visitors: a tiny deer behind the house, an open copy of Fairy News and the faintest movement from the wishing pond. Ahhhh….

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21 thoughts on “Fairy Garden Renovations”

Those made me smile a happy smile. I wondered what you used for the trees?? A reading garden, what a lovely idea. I’m waiting to restart my fairy gardens till I get good news. Nothing yet. Ah, well. I had not heard about that book or circular story. Learned something new today. Thank you. The gardens are just wonderful and now you know why I make it a point to stay out of craft stores. Not as bad as book stores but almost. Hugs. I just love what you’ve done with the place.

I wished myself very small and did a little walk about. Such a cute home and garden, I never wanted to leave. Thank goodness for wee stepping stones, it’s so lush, I might have disappeared in there 😉 Seems everything is just about as whimsical and wonderful as you. Loving the cross-over log/bridge between the cottage and the reading pond. You took some simple tiny treasures and gave them such a life. Alyster jumped up and kicked his heals when I showed him around, he’s really happy for the link too, thank you tons. What have you bought for mini trees? They’re perfect! I’ve looked at those planter trays hundreds of times and never saw a fairy garden in them. You’re a master 😀 xo The little hammock is really sweet too, it’s just the perfect shape for a hammock. I can’t imagine how you made a tiny little magazine, but as a profession magazine guru, I’d say it’s amazing 😀 I’ll clip to the Corrinthia Page for Adele. But she’s not always good about reading her page, LOL It’s all super charming at your entrance on the bench. The delicate painting you’ve added around the edge of the garden reminds me of the cottage homes in the countryside of Switzerland. Love love love it all. xoxoxoxoxk

You’re so cute. I thought I heard you whisper when I walked by the garden. Thank you heaps and heaps for all your good cheer.

I love all the sweet little treasures from Corrinthia. They are really special. You are so good to me and the San Jose fairies. Alyster, too. It will be fun to snap his picture when he visits San Jose again…soon???

Will he be joining us in Victoria as well? I hope so.

I found that little ‘log’ on the floor of the forest in Felton. It’s beautiful there. I love the mossy cover.

The magazine was so much fun. I found a colorful section of the newspaper (the weather) and cut through several layers. I cut it down to scale, stapled the end, wrote the title, then glued it to a tiny hing so it didn’t blow away in the wind. I just love the lantern over head. It’s a place that I would want to sit and read.

I loved Switzerland, especially all the magnificent views from the train. I know exactly what you are referring to.

I shall bring Alyster to Victoria. He could join us for tea at the Empress. His wee suitcase should have a lot of stickers on it by now 😉 By the time he gets to Victoria, then Washington then San Jose, then it’ll be time to go back to Maui…..he’s truly spoilt isn’t he?

I’ve just spent a happy ten minutes bigifying all the photos and having a close look at your creativity Alys – it’s just so lovely! The house is perfect in the setting and I love the log bridge uniting the two areas – though it brings back memories of me teetering anxiously across a slightly larger version of the same thing not so very long ago. Thank heavens the fairies are so much tinier and daintier than I!! Love Alyster’s chair – did he make it himself? He is such a clever and generous gnome 🙂

Adorable!! I love everything about them. They look so cute on the chair, I love the magnolia petal hammock and the fallen log to the other side. So much to look at and think about. I guess that is the whole point!

Thank you for taking the time to read all my posts. That is so special.

I really took some time with this fairy garden and enjoyed every minute of it. It’s amazing what you can rummage up from the ground and then turn into fairy magic. The lovely gifts from Boomdee added a special, refined touch, and I really had fun with the stencils.

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I'm passionate about gardening, organizing, blogging and cats. I live in Silicon Valley, California with my husband of 23 years. We have two grown sons, but our feline family varies. The current count is three.